Risi bisi, kisses risotto

It's a great day for romance here in Italy this Valentine's Day.

The sun is shining, the flower shops are full of men queueing to buy red roses, red heart-shaped balloons gently swaying above the market stalls, the radio full of talk about love at first sight.

Just for those of you that cant go out, haven't got a babysitter, or are just too tired after a week's work, here is a great recipe called risi bisi. It means "rice and peas" in Venetian dialect, but some fancy that bisi comes from the French bise, which is an affectionate term for "kiss". It is economical and nutritious, children like it too. 

Risi Bisi

Risi Bisi
500 g frozen peas

1500 ml of stock

1 onion finely chopped

2 tbsps butter

225 g rice for risotto

1 glass of white wine

100g parmesan  grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onion until soft and transucent. Add the peas and stir, let it cook gently for awhile and then add the rice. Give it all a good gentle stir then add the wine and let it evaporate. Keep adding stock and let it simmer gently, stirring now and again to make sure it doesn't stick. When the rice is cooked add a knob of butter and some parmesan cheese. Give it a good stir, turn off the heat and put the lid on for a few minutes. Serve in bowls with more cheese to sprinkle on the top.

You could make a quick starter to eat while the risotto is cooking. Cut out heart shapes from slices of bread and decorate with whatever you have in the fridge. Olives, maionnaise, baby tomatoes ...